How Product Samples Go Wrong (and What to Do About It)
Sending product samples can open the door to great coverage—but they can also backfire. Here’s what happens when things go off the rails and how to recover.
Joni Sweet is a seasoned writer, editor, and content strategist with 13+ years of media experience. In this newsletter, Joni reveals insider tips to help PR professionals sharpen their pitches, avoid rookie mistakes, land coverage for their clients, and build stronger relationships with writers.
Hi friends,
Let’s talk about sending product samples to journalists.
When done well, it’s a smart way to help us get to know your client’s product. There’s no better way to give readers honest, informed recommendations than by actually using the thing. And when we find a product we love, you know we’ll want to cover it every time it fits a story.
But when a sample request goes wrong, that brand (and sometimes the PR pro who reps it) can be put on the fast lane to the top of a writer’s black list. That’s not just a missed story. It’s a burned relationship that could shut you out of opportunities for coverage for years.
Over the years, I’ve received hundreds of samples. Some led to glowing write-ups in gift guides, roundups, and reviews. Others? Caused allergic reactions, broke electronics, or showed up unannounced (looking at you, unsolicited pressure cooker that took up half my NYC kitchen for two years).
So today, I’m pulling back the curtain on everything that can go wrong with product samples—plus what to do if it happens to you.
But first, a quick word from today’s sponsor, Press Hook, who can help you stay on top of product requests and uncover new opportunities for coverage.
A Smart Way to Handle Sample Requests
You already know that sending product samples can lead to great coverage. But managing those requests? That’s where things can get messy fast.
Press Hook takes the headache out of managing sample requests and makes it easier to get your clients’ products in front of the right journalists. Their platform lets writers browse products by story need, request samples directly from your brand page, and submit feedback after delivery.
Press Hook also helps you:
✅ Send exactly what was requested
✅ Fulfill requests on time (seriously, this matters!)
✅ Share tracking info up front
✅ Send writers a survey to share their experience with the product sample
If samples are part of your PR strategy (and they should be), Press Hook just makes the whole thing smoother—for you and the journalists you're trying to reach.
How Product Samples Can Go Wrong—and Ways to Handle It Like a Pro
1. The Unfilled Promise
A PR pro once pitched me a product that was a perfect fit for a gift guide I was working on. I was on deadline and didn’t have time to test it, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt and included it anyway. I let them know I’d love a sample to consider it for future stories. They said they’d send one that week.
It never came.
Weeks passed. I followed up and was told their client was having distributor delays. More time passed. They pitched me the same product again. And again. Yet they still weren’t able to get a sample to my door.
I finally told them I wouldn’t be able to cover the brand going forward. The way I saw it was that if they couldn’t deliver on a sample, how could I trust they’d fulfill orders from readers?
They apologized and eventually—more than 3 months after the request!—a sample arrived. And…it wasn’t great. The delays had already made me hesitant to include the brand in future coverage. A disappointing product was the final nail in the coverage coffin.
Takeaway: If you promise a sample and don’t follow through, it doesn’t just hurt this story—it tarnishes a journalist’s perception of your client and even your own professionalism. Be proactive if there’s a delay in sending out a sample. Communicate clearly, offer a realistic timeline, and don’t keep pitching the product to a journalist who’s waiting on a sample until you’ve made good on the original promise.